[PRCo] Re: Port Authority

[John Swindler]

About 7 or 8 years ago a letter to editor appeared in the Meadville newspaper from Wendell Cox.  It was the usual anti-transit theme.  And with the internet, it was the same mass mailing Wendell Cox sent to several other newspapers.
 
I sent the Meadville letter, along with the same letter in several other newspapers, to a number of people in the transit industry, with question:  "why would a person living in St. Louis send an anti-rail transit letter to the editor of the Meadville newspaper"??
 
Let's just say that the highway lobby is much better organized then the transit industry.  And APTA acknowledges that the rails to trail group is also better organized.
 
John
 
> Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 14:44:24 -0700> From: pcc_sr at yahoo.com> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Port Authority> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > ----- Original Message ----> > From: Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net>> > To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > Sent: Friday, June 6, 2008 2:35:14 PM> > > > Wendell Cox's credentials are not without rebuke. He spends more > > time fighting railway projects than supporting them. The man is an > > hired gun for the highway industry masquerading as a transit > > consultant....> > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_Cox> > > Thank You for this source of info on Mr.Cox Mr.Schneider. I was aware of him I but never took the time to learn more; I just knew that transit advocates strongly disliked him didn't I. While reading the article http://tinyurl.com/5f5hus I personally noted that he wanted maximum return for the buck re:transit didn't he. Your reference to Cox says the same identical thing: "Cox believes that the goal of public transportation systems should be> to obtain maximum value for every dollar of taxes and fees expended..." It goes on to say: "He calls public transportation a welfare service that does a "good job of getting people downtown and serving the low-income poor moving around the core, but it can't do any more than that"." Comments like this can be found in the list archives here can't they.> > Any free enterprize system will also have elements of socialism in this imperfect world won't it. Transit which was 'mostly' free enterprize is now in that realm of 'socialized' for wont of a better word. This dilutes the 'need(?)' for maximum bang for the buck doesn't it and makes the return a big gray area, actually a red deficit. With national public transit ridership less than 5% (probably growing because of oil prices, but still quite low) one can understand the objections to unbridled spending on transit. The weakness in any system is the human isn't it; said human has great difficulty with the big picture and thus makes many mistakes which are only corrected // adjusted with economic contractions which wipes out money and thus 'some' spending. The current mortgage crisis and its contribution to cash deficiencies seems to have quite some way to go so it will be interesting to see if this has any impact on transit.> > Please note that the above are just observations on a theme, not necessarily a personal belief let alone a policy. I am not interested in second guessing the outcome; I would rather observe what actually happens. (We will see endless second guessing in the political arena about potential outcomes won't we which is often reported as 'news' but can also be a purposeful masquerade at manipulating the outcome; I personally don't get involved in all that but wait for the final results. Regardless of who is or isn't in power I have pretty much lived a 'Free' life in the USA. I do like to compare tehe results against this statement: "In a democracy we get what we deserve and deserve what we get!")> >> > http://www.lightrailnow.org/myths/m_000007.htm> > > I would certainly expect those people promoting rail to blacklist those who question the same. I am sure those who dislike rail can blacklist rail supporters as well so this article is self-canceling isn't it.> > > Phil> >> >> > http://www.portauthority.org/paac/default.aspx> > > > > > 
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